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Howe: ‘Important’ win gives Cherries ‘a platform’

Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe stressed the importance of the win after his side halted their losing start to 2016-17 by beating League Two leaders Morecambe 2-1 away in the EFL Cup second round.

The Cherries went into the tie at the Globe Arena, which was settled by Marc Wilson’s fine 54th-minute strike, having opened the season with back-to-back Premier League defeats.

On Saturday they are at Crystal Palace, who also bounced back from two league losses with a cup win this week.

And Howe said: “The result was the most important thing.

“It was a tough night. Morecambe are a very direct, physical team and they put us under pressure at times. But thankfully we stood up to that.

“I think it was important that we won. We wanted to get through, and that hopefully gives us a platform for Saturday.”

Bournemouth, starting with 10 changes from Sunday’s 1-0 reverse at West Ham, had plenty of nervy moments as they set up a third-round home clash with Preston.

After Cole Stockton had swiftly cancelled out Max Gradel’s early opener for the visitors, the Cherries’ goalframe was rattled in first-half stoppage time by a fierce Tom Barkhuizen shot.

And following Wilson’s effort from outside the box that then restored their lead, Howe’s men endured plenty of late pressure from their fourth-tier opponents, during which a header from Ryan Edwards bounced onto the crossbar.

Howe was pleased overall with the performance, but admitted it was a mixed one – something summed up by Wilson, the Republic of Ireland defender making a maiden appearance after leaving Stoke last week to re-join the south coast outfit on a permanent deal.

The 29-year-old – who was on loan at Bournemouth from Portsmouth in 2007 – marked the occasion with what was his first club goal since scoring for Stoke in 2010, but then narrowly avoided netting an own-goal as Adam Federici scrambled away his overhit back-pass.

Howe said: “I thought in the main they did very well.

“It was a baptism of fire at times, in terms of the style of football being totally different to what we are used to in the Premier League. But we had to overcome that.

“I think we did well at times and not so good at others, but there were some good individual displays. I was very pleased.”